1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a user interface and its display method that cause a user interface-related window to be displayed on a display unit, which is capable of displaying various pieces of information.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A user interface device that causes a user interface-related window to be displayed on a display unit, which is capable of displaying various pieces of information, is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Gazette No. 2002-288160. In this prior art user interface display, while a print preview image is displayed in a print preview window on the display unit, the user's click of an Edit button switches over the manipulation mode to an editing mode, which enables the user to change the settings at a specified place in the print preview image. The user can directly edit the image, for example, a document, displayed on the print preview window. This enhances the user's working efficiency. In the user interface proposed in this cited reference, however, the user's click of the Edit button does not change over the display on the display unit but makes the print preview window continuously displayed on the display unit. The user can thus not readily recognize the switchover of the manipulation mode to the editing mode. The prior art technique of changing over the display described in this cited reference closes the print preview window, prior to the switchover to the editing mode. This, however, worsens the user's working efficiency.
Another known user interface device disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Gazette No. 2002-140155 utilizes the functions of a remote control to implement various settings on the screen. This cited reference shows, as a prior art, a user interface to display a menu and an operation panel on the screen and effectuate a selection of a desired menu option by operations of cursor keys like Up, Down, Left, and Right keys and an OK key on the remote control. As described in this cited reference, selection of a desired menu option on the screen by the operations of the cursor keys and the OK key on the remote control is the general procedure. A separate window changeover key other than the cursor keys and the OK key is used to change over the display on the screen. In the case of remote controls of HDD/DVD players, for example, this window changeover key has various names (for example, a Return key) and is provided at various locations, which are set independently by the respective manufacturers. This confuses the user about the operations of remote controls of multiple different manufacturers. When the user desires to recognize a previous window after changeover of the display, the user is required to additionally operate the remote control and return the display to the previous window.